St. Michael and All Angels- 29 September- Revelation 12; Matthew 18 (Trinity 18)

This year Trinity XVIII is also the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. The origin of the feast of St. Michael the Archangel goes back to fifth-century Rome when a church in the region was dedicated in honor of St. Michael. This feast became very popular in medieval England, and when the sixteenth-century reformers simplified the church calendar, this was the only observance dedicated to angels that was retained.

In Scripture, angels are mentioned many times. For example, the Gospel from Matthew 18:10 refers to the guardian angels of children. St. Michael and his angels are mentioned in today's reading from Revelation 12:7 ff. Michael the archangel is also mentioned in Daniel 12 and the Epistle to Jude. He is the warrior angel who defends God's people from the Devil. While we would certainly want to avoid superstitions and the distorted angel worship that St. Paul warns about in Colossians 2:18, Christians should recognize and honor the work of St. Michael and all the angels. Angels are spiritual beings created by God, and they are at work in the universe to praise God and to aid His people. We should remain open to their continuing assistance in our spiritual development.

Holy Cross Day- 14 September- Galatians 6:14

Holy Cross Day, also known as the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, is observed on September 14. It is one of the medieval feasts that is included as a "black letter day" or minor commemoration on the calendar of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The 1962 Canadian BCP provides a Collect for Holy Cross Day and suggests the Epistle and Gospel for Passion Sunday (Lent V). The day is also referenced indirectly in the 1928 American BCP (page li) and wherever the autumnal Ember Days have continued to be observed. These traditional days of special prayer for Christian ministry occur on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following Holy Cross Day.

While many Anglicans do not accept all the ancient legends and medieval accretions associated with this festival, Holy Cross Day can be a useful reminder. The cross is a basic symbol of Christianity, and good theology is centered on Christ's cross. In a sense, every day is a holy cross day for Christian believers. We have been baptized into the cross of our Lord, we continue to be saved by the work Christ performed on the cross, and we anticipate the final triumph of the Crucified Savior and our heavenly fellowship with Him. It is appropriate for us to pause and give thanks that the horrible instrument of death has been transformed by God's redeeming work in Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul says in Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."

Trinity XV- Matthew 6: 24-34

The Gospel for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity is from St. Matthew 6:24-34. The reference to God's providence or provision is appropriate for the changing of seasons and harvest time. Yet, this Scripture speaks of more than nature or the harvest. It points us to divine providence and mercy in all their forms. Every aspect of creation depends on God for its existence and survival. God watches over and cares for the birds and the wildflowers. He gives them good things. How much more must the Creator care for human beings created in His image, especially for His faithful people! Therefore, God expects a faithful response from us. We must cast aside faithless anxieties. We must reject the idolatry of mammon or materialism. God calls each of us to place God's kingdom and His righteous standards first if we wish to know a truly meaningful life in this world and the next.

Trinity XIII- Faith and Love

 On the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, the Epistle from Galatians 3:16-22 and the Gospel from Luke 10:23-37 seem to be talking about very different aspects of religious teaching and experience. The Epistle highlights the importance of faith over the value of specific commands of the Law. The Gospel emphasizes the great commandments of the Law and the importance of loving actions toward God and neighbor. For many believers, the difficulty has been how to fit the two emphases together. Do we start with faith or with love?

In abstraction, love is paramount. God is love, and His dealings with human beings begin with His love. Human beings are called to respond to divine love. Because God first loves us, we are to love Him and our neighbors. This is beautiful, and it sounds simple, but in reality, loving God and our neighbors is not easy. It is complicated by the fact that human nature is fallen and corrupt. On our own, we are sinners who have lost the capacity to love as we should. 

This human condition means that love is not our first step. Our response to divine love must begin with repenting our lack of love followed by faith in God's love revealed in Jesus Christ. Without such faith, we are not really open to love. God's loving grace must first begin to transform us by creating faith in Him. Christian Faith then opens our hearts to love God in return. And as we begin to love God, we also begin to love our neighbors created by God. As Galatians 5:6 indicates, the core of the Christian life is "faith which worketh by love."

The Transfiguration of Christ- 6 August- Luke 9:28-36

The feast of the Transfiguration is based on a mysterious event from the Gospels (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-10, Luke  9:28-36). This event provides one of the most distinctive and dramatic manifestations of Jesus' divinity. In the synoptic Gospels, our Lord takes Peter, John, and James up onto a mountain where He has a shining appearance during prayer. Moses and Elijah appear and converse with Jesus, and a divine voice proclaims, "This is my beloved Son; hear him" (Luke 9:35).

Despite its clear biblical basis, this commemoration has not always received very much emphasis. It was only a few years before the Reformation that the Latin church began to observe the Transfiguration as a universal feast on August 6. In liturgical simplifications after the Reformation, the Feast of the Transfiguration was removed from many calendars, including the calendar of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer. It was restored but only as a minor commemoration or "black-letter day" in the 1662 BCP. The celebration was restored more fully and provided with "propers" as a feast of our Lord in the 1928 BCP. Some recent Anglican calendars have adopted the Lutheran custom of observing the Transfiguration on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany. 

The Transfiguration of Christ is significant whenever we observe it. It shows that Christ's Gospel continues the Law and the Prophets. It illustrates that Christ's authority remains after Moses and Elijah have faded from view. It manifests our Lord's great inner glory and approval by God the Father. It is also a reminder that the Son of Man must suffer before His glory is more fully revealed (Matthew 17:12).

Trinity X- Luke 19:41-47- Weeping over the City

The traditional Gospel for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity comes from Luke 19:41-47. This passage is right after Luke’s account of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and it emphasizes our Lord’s concern for the city and its people. St. Luke 19:41 says, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it…”

It may be hard for us to grasp Jerusalem’s importance in first-century Jewish life and consciousness. It was more significant to Jews than modern London (or Canterbury), Washington, Ottawa, Canberra, Paris, or Berlin are to their nations. A first-century Jew could not ignore Jerusalem. It was the center of Jewish political, economic, educational, and religious life. It was the place of pilgrimage and the center of religious worship. Even daily prayers in homes or synagogues were said facing toward Jerusalem.

Jesus spent a lot of time in Jerusalem, and He acknowledged its importance. So His comments in our Gospel are especially notable. His sadness over the city has great significance, not only about ancient Jerusalem itself, but also about those aspects of human life that Jerusalem represented.

One aspect of Jerusalem that Jesus Christ wept over was political and economic corruption. Several groups competed for power, wealth, and influence. Some wanted to cooperate with Rome; some wanted reform; some wanted political or religious revolution. These groups would keep bickering and struggling. Thirty years later, politics led the city to rebel against Rome, and Jerusalem and its people were devastated by pagan Roman might.

A second aspect was Jerusalem’s role as the intellectual and educational center for all Jews. Most of the educated people of Jerusalem were convinced that they already knew what they needed to know. They scorned and rejected Jesus as a teacher from a backward area who threatened stability. They rejected His spiritual approach. Over the coming decades, these educated people would become more and more politicized, and many would join the doomed rebellion against Rome.

A third characteristic of the city was Jerusalem's role as the heart of the Jewish religion. The city was the place where the whole Jewish people focused their relationship with God. The people usually honored the religious establishment, but many religious leaders lacked living faith. As long as the forms continued, such leaders thought all was well. For them, Jesus was a troublesome outsider to be neutralized. Then the official religious leaders could continue their domination until they too were swept up in the rebellion which destroyed the city, the Temple, and their power.

Such then was the city over which Jesus wept. He wept because He loved His people, and He still honored the values which Jerusalem symbolized. He wept because of the corruption, spiritual blindness, and sin that endangered the city- physically, culturally, and spiritually.

Of course, this Gospel selection is about first-century Jerusalem, but it is also about us, and sadly it seems to have many applications to present-day Western societies. Like first-century Jerusalem, our societies do not know the things that bring true peace. Even many who profess Christ do not follow Him, and the problem is more than personal weakness and individual sins. Our political, intellectual, and religious institutions are permeated by many types of moral and spiritual corruption. So-called Christendom does have a great heritage, but so did ancient Jerusalem. The issue is whether we (both individually and corporately) will heed Christ and His values or continue on the route to destruction.

On the positive side, Jesus Christ offers us a different way. He offers true peace, peace with God. He offers new life through divine grace and living faith. The question that faces supposed Christians is whether we really accept Him and His peace or we refuse Him and continue on the way to destruction.

Trinity IX- Luke 15:11-32- Divine Mercy

The traditional Gospel for this Sunday from St. Luke 15:11-32 is well known. In fact, it might be so well known that we overlook its depth of meaning. It has often been called the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and the prodigal or wasteful son is certainly important, but we should notice that there are three central characters in the story: 1) the ungrateful and wasteful son who repents and returns home, 2)  the legalistic and resentful older brother who is jealous and hurt, and 3) the merciful, gracious, and forgiving father who celebrates the prodigal's return and admonishes the older son.

Focusing on any of the three characters can provide much food for thought. All human beings share characteristics of the prodigal or wasteful son and of the older self-righteous and resentful son. Like both sons, we need changes in our thoughts and in our behavior. 

Nevertheless, the central character in the parable is the forgiving father. This father exemplifies the qualities of God the Father. He cares for both sons and wants what is best for them. He respects their freedom and allows them to develop in their individual ways. He gives them guidance and sustenance, and He is saddened when they misunderstand Him, make mistakes, and stray in their different ways. Nevertheless, His love endures and is ready to express itself anew if His children repent and return in humility. In His graciousness, He is ready to rejoice and have a feast when penitents return. We all have such a loving, gracious, and forgiving heavenly Father; so let us arise and go to Him in humility.

Trinity VIII- Romans 8:12-17

 In different ways, both the Epistle and the Gospel for Eighth Sunday after Trinity are warnings about spiritual life. The Gospel points to the dangers of bad spiritual leaders, and the Epistle points to the spiritual struggles of individual souls. This time, my focus is on the Epistle from Romans 8:12- 17. In these few verses, St. Paul contrasts the fleshly life with the true spiritual life. By the "flesh," the Apostle is not referring to the mere fact of human physical existence. Here "flesh" is referring to the fallenness and weakness of the human condition. And by spiritual, Paul is not exalting some vague notion of an immaterial aspect of existence. Rather, the Apostle is encouraging a life inspired by and empowered by the Holy Spirit, a life directed toward God the Father, and a life lived in unity with God the Son, Jesus Christ. Such a Christian life includes a renunciation of worldliness and a readiness to accept the cross of Christ.

In this life, every Christian faces an ongoing struggle between the fallen nature and the higher self dedicated to God. Every aspect of life, from our basic physical needs to our highest religious ideals is subject to temptation and distortion. Of course, physical things such as food, creature comforts, and sexual impulses are common fleshly temptations, but so are pride in our moral standing and dependence on the goodness of our own religious practices. To use Paul's term, we must always be ready to "mortify" our dependence on even our best characteristics. In all areas of earthly life, we need to be healed by divine grace and accept divine guidance. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we need to be unified with Christ and His cross more and more deeply

Trinity VI- Matthew 5: 20-26

 The Gospel from St. Matthew 5:20-26 addresses the issue of the Old Testament and divine Law. Christ teaches that His work is inseparable from God's revelation in the Hebrew Scriptures. These verses may be viewed as a comment on an earlier verse. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." These words of our Lord proclaim the enduring value of the old covenant. Christ does not destroy the Old Testament; He fulfills it. He fulfills it by obeying it perfectly and by applying it in a deeper way. He emphasizes the principles and attitudes underlying the specific commandments.

Unfortunately, from New Testament times onward, some professing Christians have not respected the true value of the Hebrew covenant. That was true in ancient times and many times since then. Thus, Anglican Article of Religion VII defends the proper value of the Old Testament. The basic point is in these words- "The Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man." 

This means that Christians must not dismiss the Old Testament as irrelevant. The spiritual and moral implications of the Hebrew covenant are still a guide for Christians.  Law and Gospel are interwoven together in both Testaments. While some cultural and legal details do not apply to Christians, believers must still hear the Old Testament with respect. They should see how it honors God, how it points to Christ, and how it expects believers to be guided by God's moral Law.

We live in an age of relativism and disrespect for rules. Some so-called Christians deliberately reject eternal moral principles, and many do not appreciate the value of the Old Testament. While Christians live in a new covenant of grace, the Hebrew Scriptures are still a foundation. Even Hebrew rites that do not apply to Christians may teach us something about the work of Christ and the life of the believer.

So today's Gospel is a reminder that Christ does not destroy the Law and the Prophets. Christians are not bound by the minute details of Hebrew jurisprudence and ceremonial, and we are not saved by our good works. However, the spiritual and moral principles revealed by God in the Old Testament apply throughout human history. They apply in our time and in our lives. And we must beware lest we despise what God has revealed. The Law should always point us to the Gospel!

Trinity V- Luke 5: 1-11

The Gospel for this Sunday is Luke's account of the call of some of the apostles (Luke 5:1-11). It shows that the Galilean fishermen had a poor night of fishing and that Jesus guided them to a great catch. The example of Simon Peter is emphasized. As in several gospel episodes, Peter is very emotional. He is amazed and frightened because of Jesus' powerful miracle. Peter wants to run away, but Jesus uses this encounter to call Peter and others to follow Him. The great catch of fish becomes symbolic of the call to catch people for the kingdom of God. It becomes a moment of choice, a call for commitment, a challenge to have faith..

The miraculous catch of fish still applies to potential followers of Jesus. It shows us that Jesus Christ is the holy Lord of creation who still works in amazing and surprising ways. The miracle is a call for us to be disciples, and it points to Jesus' ministry of gathering people for the kingdom of God. Like Peter and the other fishermen, we have a vocation. We are called to follow Jesus in all things and to share in His mission of seeking people for God's kingdom. The specifics vary according to our personal gifts and circumstances, but all are asked to contribute to Christ's mission. We are asked to accept Christ's call and have faith in His redemptive mission for us and for others.

Anglicans and The Augsburg Confession of 1530

At best, most Anglicans are only vaguely aware of the Augsburg Confession. Yet, the principles of this Lutheran Confession are embedded in the Anglican tradition. On 25 June 1530, German Lutheran princes, civic leaders, and theologians presented their confession of the Evangelical faith to Emperor Charles V and to the Diet convened at Augsburg. (This year marks the 494th anniversary of that momentous event.) The Augsburg Confession is a clear and relatively concise statement of the theological principles of the conservative Reformation in Germany. Among other points, it demonstrates respect for church tradition while also affirming basic Reformation views on Scriptural authority, justification by faith, the nature of the Church, and the importance of the two Gospel Sacraments. Although certainly reflective of its historical context in Germany, the Augsburg Confession has abiding importance as a Christian affirmation.

Both directly and indirectly, the Augsburg Confession has influenced many other formularies and theologies. Christians as diverse as John Calvin and Pope Benedict XVI have expressed admiration for its broad Christian principles. Thomas Cranmer and other English reformers were under its direct influence. From the first Book of Common Prayer onward, traditional Anglican liturgies have reflected its principles. The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion originated from attempts to adapt the principles of the Augsburg Confession to the English ecclesiastical, cultural, and political situation. The general content and even the exact wording of numerous Anglican Articles reflect familiarity with the Augsburg Confession and other Lutheran works. The theological value or meaning of the English adaptations may be debated, but the influence is clear.

So, Anglicans should be more aware of and appreciative of the Augsburg Confession. Although it is not an official Anglican standard, it has had a significant influence on Anglican history, liturgy, and doctrine. The broad principles of the Augsburg Confession are embedded in the Prayer Book and the Articles, and its Scriptural principles have perennial value for Anglicans and all Christians!

Trinity IV- Luke 6:37

This Sunday's Gospel from St. Luke 6 is from the Sermon on the Plain, a section similar to the Sermon on the Mount in St. Matthew. The selection contains many significant sayings of our Lord. One of them is very famous- “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged” (Luke 6:37).

These apparently simple words of Scripture have not always been easy to understand or to apply. On the one hand, we recognize that human beings often misjudge others.  We jump to false conclusions in many cases. We can be harsh about others when we are guilty of similar or worse thoughts, words, or deeds. And even the best human judgments about another person are limited and fall short in some respects. So we must not presume to be totally righteous. We need to keep humble and open minds about other people and their standing before God.

On the other hand, in practical terms, we know that no human being could survive in daily life without making certain judgments about health and safety. And even in moral and spiritual matters, people must make some daily judgments. Both individuals and societies have to make decisions to protect themselves from unwise and bad behaviors. This reality is recognized by Jesus Himself in another passage. In John 7:24, He says, “Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” 

Thus, our verse about not judging should be understood wisely and sensibly. Christians must not judge hastily or unfairly. We must not judge harshly or unmercifully. And we must not presume that even our best human judgments always live up to divine standards. However, we must value divine law and promote high moral and spiritual standards. We must humbly ask divine help to follow righteousness ourselves and encourage others to do so as well. We seek to be merciful, fair, and reasonable in our opinions about human beings and their behaviors. And we try to treat others as we wish to be treated.

Trinity III- Luke 15:1-10

 The Gospel from St. Luke 15:1- 10 contains two brief but well-known two brief parables: the lost sheep and the lost coin.  The parables illustrate the importance and power of divine grace. Human beings tend to be very concerned about what they lose. Thus, a shepherd who loses one sheep out of a hundred and a housewife who loses one coin out of ten will make great efforts to recover what has been lost. And when they do recover the lost item, they rejoice greatly. Christ's parables present the divine attitude toward sinners as being similar to people who find lost items. Our heavenly Lord is concerned over the loss of any soul, no matter how insignificant that person might seem to the world. He keeps searching for the lost, and He and all of heaven rejoice over every soul recovered.

These parables apply to us. We all belong to God, but at various times in different ways, we get lost and God seeks to find us. Each of us has great value to God, and He seeks us out. He offers us His amazing grace in Word and Sacrament; He takes the initiative even when we are unaware. If we have already been found by Him, we should be grateful to Him and live accordingly. If we are still wandering like lost sheep, we should be aware of God's desire to find us and accept His mercy. In either case, human beings should be more aware of and more appreciative of divine mercy and grace.

Anglicans as Reformed

Many Anglicans say that Anglicanism is "reformed"  Christianity. That is an interesting description, and over the centuries, Anglicans with diverse views might accept it. Almost all Anglicans have been "reformed" in a general way. They have emphasized Scriptural authority, have accepted vernacular liturgy, and have had married clergy. They have also rejected papal infallibility and direct papal jurisdiction. Nevertheless, many Anglicans have acknowledged that they are reformed in some sense without being very clear about what being reformed means. 

So, how should contemporary Anglicans view being "reformed"? Anglicans need to understand being reformed in light of their heritage. Like most Anglicans since the Elizabethan Settlement (roughly 1559-1571), contemporary Anglicans should acknowledge the value and the positive insights of the Reformation. While Anglicans value ancient catholic tradition, they reject Roman authority and emphasize Scriptural authority. This Scriptural emphasis of historic Anglicanism has deep theological implications.

In a practical, sometimes fuzzy, Anglo-Saxon way, Anglicans acknowledge the Reformation "solas": sola Scriptura, sola gratia, and sola fide. Furthermore, Anglicans cannot honestly deny that Reformation figures such as Luther, Bullinger, Bucer, Calvin, and Melanchthon influenced the theology and practice of the Anglican Reformers and many Anglicans down through the last five centuries. The Books of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles are Reformed documents. So being Reformed or Protestant is an inherent characteristic of Anglican belief and practice. No amount of revisionism by either high church or progressive partisans changes the historical facts.

Trinity II- Luke 14: 16-24

 The Epistle and Gospel lessons for this week bring up the theme of excuses. In daily life, human beings hear or give excuses on all sorts of subjects. We seem to live in an age of excuses. People make all sorts of excuses, great and small. We always seem to find extenuating circumstances for every major or minor failing.

Such human behavior has been around since the Garden of Eden, and we certainly see it in our Gospel from St. Luke 14:16ff. Using the comparison of an ordinary feast, our Lord Jesus Christ points to God's gracious invitation and the human tendency to make excuses. Although insulting to divine grace, such excuses really harm the one making the excuse, not the divine host. God asks for our fellowship but we make excuses, and so we deprive ourselves of His blessings. He can always find other guests who will be grateful.

Each day and each week, God invites us to spend time with Him. He asks us to read His Word and pray, publicly and privately. He offers to feed us in the Lord's Supper. And He hopes that we will accept His hospitality and fellowship with other guests. So we should avoid hesitations or excuses. Except when hindered by events beyond our control, we should accept God's invitation to prayer, worship, and fellowship. Rather than looking for excuses, let us accept the grace that God offers and respond in gratitude.